Poster Magazinehttp://postermagazine.com
The Art of LuxuryMon, 05 Feb 2018 23:55:54 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.7THE HOXTON, PARIS, FRANCEhttp://postermagazine.com/the-hoxton-paris-france/
Tue, 23 Jan 2018 23:39:48 +0000http://postermagazine.com/?p=8879Several years in the making, the Paris edition of The Hoxton has finally swung open its doors, marking the fourth property for the burgeoning hotel group. Set over six buildings – including a listed 18th century hôtel particulier – CEO Sharan Pasricha and his team have transformed the crumbling site into a chic Parisian bolthole with a dash of signature East London flair. Monaco-based Humbert & Poyet have dressed the 172 guestrooms with local accents such as Jean Prouvé furniture, while the outdoor patio, speakeasy bar and Rivié brasserie have – like the previous properties – been kitted out by London-based Soho House group with its signature shabby chic aesthetic. Here, executive chef Ross Clarke serves up an all-day menu of French inspired dishes along with crowd-pleasing Hoxton classics such as mac and cheese or truffle fries. Of course, in true Hoxton style, the buzzing lobby is where you will find most of the hotel’s action.

]]>MERCEDES-MAYBACH VISION 6 CABRIOLET, ELECTRIC SUPER-LUXURY CONCEPT CARhttp://postermagazine.com/mercedes-maybach-vision-6-cabriolet-electric-super-luxury-concept-car/
Tue, 23 Jan 2018 05:53:29 +0000http://postermagazine.com/?p=8349Spectators at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Élégancewere struggling to fit the entire length of the Mercedes-Maybach Vision 6 Cabriolet into one iPhone frame for their selfies. The Vision 6 was one of the most photographed and talked-about concept vehicles at this year’s Pebble Beach. Even those of us who are not seriously into cars can see why.The convertible electric concept car is six meters (almost 20 feet) long and every single millimeter of it exudes luxury and elegance. This really is the first electric luxury car that harkens back to classic art deco proportions. It evokes the feel ofautomotive haute couture where every detail is super-luxurious yet the sum total is understated, distinctive and sleek.

Luxury yachts and private jets inspired the designers. The long rear of the vehicle echoes the tail of a yacht, while the wood floor inlaid with aluminum further defines the yachting connection. The interior’s soft, white nappa leather contrasts with the exterior’s dark blue paint finish described as “nautical blue metallic.” The pinstriped suit inspired the radiator-style grille across the front. The front seats plus the armrests, doors and rear seats are all heated. The seats can also offer a “hot stone” massage or cooling ventilation. Other amenities in the rear cabin include a refrigerated compartment and bespoke silver Champagne flutes. But those dying to buy one must, at least for now, endure in their private jets and luxury yachts. Vision 6 is a singular model vehicle and an example of Mercedes Benz’s vision for 2035 and beyond. The Pebble Beach Concours d’Élégance is the final event of the Monterey Car Week and it takes place at the Pebble Beach Golf Course in Carmel, California.Other notable manufacturers that introduced new concept cars at Pebble Beach this August include Acura, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Bugatti, Cadillac, Corvette, Ford, Infiniti, Lamborghini, Lexus, Lincoln. Maserati, McLaren, Porsche and Rolls-Royce.

You might think Aesop’s 200th global store opening deserves a song-and-dance. But, the ever-understated Australian skincare stalwart has rung in its achievement in typical style – quietly. Designed by Norwegian interior architect and seven-time collaborator Snøhetta, the 100 sq m Sloane Square flagship is a subtle choreography of light, warmth and scent. Pitched on the corner of Duke Square, surrounded by a catalogue of elegant white-box stores, the rust-red clay walls add texture behind four facade windows, inviting passers-by in from the Chelsea cold. ‘The idea of street presence was central for us,’ says senior architect Peter Girgis. ‘Originating and rising up of from this large central element, we wanted warm-tones to beat out onto the street.’ Said central element consists of a Devonshire clay-plaster clad column that arches out of the floor into what Girgis describes as ‘an architectural tree’. It spans the ceiling, covering it in a breathable, atmosphere-enhancing texture that will help to ventilate the lightly-scented space. The ‘trunk’ surrounds a 4.5 sq m ‘water table’, upon which a slim veil of water cascades into four tin bath-sized fibre glass sinks, used for skin consultations. The interiors were devised in collaboration with Aesop’s longstanding in-house architect Jean-Philippe Bonnefoi, who provided Snøhetta with a mood-board of inspirations. ‘It included everything from music, notes about the local area, to movie-set scenography and Youtube clips of James Bond,’ explains project architect Gaute Simonsen. Though the space doesn’t scream Die Another Day, Bond’s influence is ‘textually felt and implied’, says Girgis, in the space’s ‘slightly off notes’. Like the table full of vintage crystal-bottles holding unamed tipples (gin and vermouth perhaps?), or the so-bad-they’re-good Roger Moore-era corduroy chairs. These dressings – handpicked by Bonnefoi – add a comforting living-room feel to the otherwise highly conceptual, warmly-minimal space.

]]>WITH INTERIORS BY PIERO LISSONI, SANLORENZO’S NEW YACHT OFFERS A FLEXIBLE TAKE ON WATERBORNE LIVINGhttp://postermagazine.com/with-interiors-by-piero-lissoni-sanlorenzos-new-yacht-offers-a-flexible-take-on-waterborne-living/
Tue, 23 Jan 2018 01:10:02 +0000http://postermagazine.com/?p=8367As yachts get bigger, so do the options and opportunities for extravagant interior design, features, facilities, finishes and accoutrements. A visit to the first SuperYacht Gallery, held at London’s Saatchi Gallery at the start of June, demonstrated this trend in full effect: there was pretty much nothing you can’t do on board a boat, given the right budget, boundless imagination and adventurous designers.

Sanlorenzo’s SX88 offers a slightly different take on waterborne living. The SX88 is a ‘crossover’ motoryacht, in that it has been designed to be as flexible as possible, without focusing on one particular attribute. Intended for island-hopping charters, this floating retreat eschews impractically sleek lines in favour of an open, more upright stance. The angular glassy superstructure appears to float above the generous hull, and despite the SX88’s generous 27m length it’s still a minnow in the superyacht league tables.

Nevertheless, Sanlorenzo has found space on for a couple of tenders and a generous ‘beach club’ (the flat bit at the stern designed for swimming, sunning and generally enjoying the good life). Below decks there are 4-5 well appointed cabins, along with crew quarters. And for a big boat, the SX88 uses as little energy as possible, with power coming from banks of high-tech banks of batteries to minimise emissions in out-of-the-way locations.

The flying bridge over the beach-club decking

Key to the SX88’s interior ambience is the involvement of acclaimed designer Piero Lissoni, working alongside the exterior designer Lou Codega. Sanlorenzo has previously tapped the talents of Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel for interior design, and the Lissoni collaboration marks a next step in the company’s design language.

Opt for the open-plan configuration – instead of the grand owner’s cabin – and you’ll get a wood-lined loft-style living space more akin to a penthouse apartment than a traditional boat. Lissoni and his team of David Lopez, Stefano Castelli, and Marco Gottardi, have created a saloon with panoramic views through the floor-to-ceiling windows, a space that flows right through from the bow seating area to the beach club at the stern.

A compact galley sits alongside an open-plan dining area, emphasising Lissoni’s loft-inspired approach. Slender open-tread stairs lead up to the captain’s chair on the fly bridge, where a secondary open-air seating area provides an even loftier view over your berth. The SX88 is available for order now, built at Sanlorenzo’s La Spezia boatyard and with first deliveries expected in Spring 2018.

]]>SOLID FOUNDATIONS: THE YVES SAINT LAURENT MUSEUM OPENS IN MARRAKECHhttp://postermagazine.com/solid-foundations-the-yves-saint-laurent-museum-opens-in-marrakech/
Sat, 20 Jan 2018 00:37:09 +0000http://postermagazine.com/?p=8450Wrapped with terracotta brick and earthen-coloured terrazzo, the new and much-anticipated Yves Saint Laurent museum in Marrakech melds effortlessly into its ochre surrounds. Its understated façade, with its blend of swooping curves and straight lines, is a fitting tribute to the elegance of the late designer’s couture creations. Upon its opening tomorrow, the museum is set to become the jewel in the crown of the French couturier’s Moroccan legacy, which also includes the neighbouring 12 acre Jardin Majorelle, and the Berber Museum, which opened in 2011.

The Jardin Majorelle is already one of the most visited tourist sites in Morocco: 800,000 visited last year and 9,000,000 are expected to have passed through the gates by the end of 2017. Opened to the public in 1947 by Jacques Majorelle, the late Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé fell in love with the Jardin during their first trip to Marrakech in the sixties. When they realised it was at risk of closure in the 80s, Bergé and Saint Laurent bought and restored it. After Yves died, Bergé donated the Jardin Majorelle and the Villa Oasis to their foundation in Paris. Quito Fierro, the garden’s public relations director, says that visiting numbers have dramatically increased in the past decade to the point where a timed entry system will have to be introduced.

In that time period, the city has seen the arrival of five-star destinations such as the Royal Mansour – a jaw-droppingly opulent medina – one equipped with private riads and a lobby that has to be seen to be believed. Also drawing in the well-heeled crowds is Sir Richard Branson’s captivating Moroccan hideout, Kasbah Tamadot. Nestled in the Atlas Mountains, just an hour’s drive away from the heart of the city, the Kasbah serves as a luxurious escape from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech.

The library displays a selection of books related to Morocco, Berber culture, architecture, botany and costume. The ceiling is made from laurel branches using a traditional Moroccan technique that has been reinterpreted by Studio KO

As the first fashion museum in Africa, the institution will dramatically boost the Marrakech’s reputation as a cultural hotspot. ‘When Yves Saint Laurent first discovered Marrakech in 1966, he was so moved by the city that he immediately decided to buy a house here,’ the late Pierre Bergé told us before his death last month, when we went to document the museum’s construction for our September issue (see W*222). ‘It feels perfectly natural, 50 years later, to build a museum dedicated to his oeuvre, which was so inspired by this country.’

Designed by Paris-based Studio KO, the museum was Bergé’s personal project. He was its mastermind and driving force, overseeing every aspect of its design, construction and programming with his exacting eye. Visiting the site each month, Bergé lived to see the completed exterior, which was finished in July this year. ‘Pierre had worked with Studio KO previously on a 20th-century villa in Tangier, so he already knew them well,’ says museum direcotr Björn Dahlstrom. ‘They are young and talented and I think they were absolutely the right choice for this project. Working with them was like working with family – very easy, they were dedicated. I think it would not have been so easy with a big-name architect.’

In the temporary exhibition space an inaugural show titled ‘Jacques Majorelle’s Morocco’ curated by Félix Marcilhac will offer the Moroccan public the chance to view 30 important works by the artist for the first time since his passing in 1962

Inside, the museum comprises a 400 sq m permanent exhibition space designed by Christophe Martin, a temporary exhibition space, a research library with over 6,000 volumes, a 150-seat auditorium, and a bookstore and terrace café. Its interiors are an elegant reinterpretation of traditional Moroccan materials such as local brick, brass, black granite, laurel branches and oak. All of the door handles and hardware are made locally by metalworkers in the medina. ‘The architects wanted to take these very traditional materials but use them in a very contemporary and modern way,’ says Dahlstrom. ‘Pierre insisted on materials such as the terrazzo, and in every shade – nougat, black, grey, pink, white – as well as the stained glass that you see in the entranceway.’

In the main exhibition hall Martin has conjured an atmospheric show of 50 carefully chosen pieces that are displayed on mannequins lined up like regimented troops. The chosen pieces revolve around themes dear to Saint Laurent – masculine-deminine, black, Africa and Morocco, imaginary voyages, gardens, and art. Spotlit in the darkness, the garments are backdropped by catwalk film and imagery, which are projected on to the walls. Upon entering, the designer’s drawings, fabric samples and sketches glide by across a wall of video screens that invite visitors to immerse themselves in Saint Laurent’s working process.

The museum will not only display the garments but also become a world specialist in conserving extraordinary collections. The museum’s basement levels will store 1,000 couture garments and accessories lent by the Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent in Paris, as well as 3,000 non-exhibited pieces from the Berber Museum at the Jardin Majorelle. In the temporary exhibition space an inaugural show – titled ‘Jacques Majorelle’s Morocco’ and curated by Félix Marcilhac – will offer the public the chance to view thirty important works by the artist that have been lent by private and institutional Moroccan collections. ‘Pierre Bergé saw all of the sketches and paintings,’ says Dahlstrom of the three month-long exhibition. ‘He signed off on all of it, everything. He was here on the ground overseeing every step of this project.’

]]>MIDDLE EASTERN STAR: JEAN NOUVEL’S LOUVRE ABU DHABI MAKES ITS GRAND DEBUThttp://postermagazine.com/middle-eastern-star-jean-nouvels-louvre-abu-dhabi-makes-its-grand-debut/
Fri, 19 Jan 2018 00:26:40 +0000http://postermagazine.com/?p=8445Perched on a tip of land that juts out into the sea on Saadiyat Island, Jean Nouvel’s Louvre Abu Dhabi has the appearance of a hovering spacecraft that has arrived from a distant universe. Its armour-like domed roof, measuring 180m in diameter, is made up of eight interlocking layers of aluminium and stainless steel that as you get closer, reveal themselves to be made up of a framework of star shapes – 7,850 to be precise, each one unique.

The museum, which has been under construction since 2006, is the first building opening on Abu Dhabi’s ambitious Saadiyatt Island – a £20 billion cultural hub that when complete, will include five major museums and galleries including a Guggenheim by Frank Gehry, a performing arts centre by Zaha Hadid, a Maritime Museum by Tadao Ando, and a National Museum by Foster + Partners. Nouvel admits that ‘all have been delayed at different times and different periods over the past few years’, including his, which suffered a three-year delay caused by the global financial crisis. Underneath its dominating dome a series of white concrete cubes house the museum’s various galleries and functions while a series of steps and walkways form the public space. Sea surrounds and infiltrates the museum, creating a sort of traditional Falaj canal that forms emerald pools and rivers around the white cube buildings.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi is what Nouvel refers to as ‘a total design’, as the project offered his studio the chance to build not only the shell, but also the interiors, furniture and all the details in between. The entrance lobby, bright white with sharp angles and various ceiling heights, is not particularly grand. A series of strategically placed large windows frame views of the building’s various internal pools, waterways and courtyards, while curvy, ribbed, black leather seating – also designed by Nouvel – furnishes the space. ‘I wanted to create something a little like a Chesterfield,’ says Nouvel of the leather-upholstered pieces that were made in Italy by Poltrona Frau. ‘Very simple, sober and solid. You can sit and work on them. As a designer I am always seeking simplicity, that is my way.’

It is only when leaving the enclosed lobby space and stepping into the building’s open centre, eyes drawn upwards by its mesmerizing domed ceiling, that it really takes your breath away. The contrast is sharp and unexpected. Here in its centre, dappled sunlight filters through the dome’s layers to create what Nouvel likes to refer to as ‘a rain of light’ that changes quickly throughout the day as the intense sun tracks overhead. It provides a significant amount of shade – just 1.8 per cent of the light from the sky gets through. A cool breeze flows in under the dome, which curves down to the horizon, revealing a strip of turquoise sea all around.

]]>BRUTALISM FOR THE WRIST? THAT’S HUBLOT’S CONCRETE THINKINGhttp://postermagazine.com/brutalism-for-the-wrist-thats-hublots-concrete-thinking/
Thu, 04 Jan 2018 04:41:15 +0000http://postermagazine.com/?p=8441When, earlier this year, Italian designer Giuliano Mazzuoli introduced the Cemento, the world’s first wristwatch with a case made entirely from concrete, I figured ‘Cool, but surely a cul-de-sac?’ It followed Girard-Perregaux’s watchesof 2012 and 2015 honouring Le Corbusier, with concrete dials. Now, as Hublot launches the Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Concrete Jungle, it begs the question: If ‘one is chance, and two is coincidence’, does ‘three’ mean we’ll all soon be wearing brutalism’s favourite fabric on our wrists?

Unlike titanium, precious metals, composites, ceramics or others offering combinations of lightness, strength or opulence, concrete makes only an aesthetic statement, and a prosaic one at that: cement is the most ordinary of building materials. With the Concrete Jungle, though, comes a fresh look. It starts with a pun, but witty nonetheless. The Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Concrete Jungle (Hublot is incapable of brevity when choosing model names) marks the Swiss watchmaker’s collaboration with street artist Tristan Eaton, but instead of spray-painted style details, or an artist-designed strap, Hublot has opted for an amusingly literal take.

Created as a tribute to New York City, the watch bezel is created using a concrete-epoxy blend, which retains the exact shape of the classic Hublot Big Bang watch, complete with ‘H’ bolt heads holding it in place. The effect is suitably ‘urban’, applied to a 45mm automatic chronograph with skeleton dial. The caseback bears Eaton’s signature collage technique, seen as a motif of the Statue of Liberty, which he first painted in 2012, at the corner of Mulberry and Canal Street in New York. It’s an admittedly cool piece, only heightened by Hublot’s wry in-joke.

As anyone familiar with Mondrian hotels knows, understatement is not the chain’s defining trait. From outside – and especially at night – the group’s latest property in Doha resembles something dreamed up by Hayao Miyazaki, and this hallucinogenic quality continues within. The 270-key property comes with seven in-house eateries, including the craft beer and burgers spot Hudson Tavern, Japanese restaurant Morimoto and, more intriguingly, Walima, which promises a taste of Qatari cuisine.

Its most spectacular moments include a spiral lace-work staircase that touches down in the atrium like a Chinese dragon, a bold black-and-white indoor pool that appears to shelter under a titanic Tiffany lampshade and a mini-forest of soaring cloud trees in the almost all-white lounge. Like the rooms – essays in opulent restraint that feature decorative arabesques and striking re-workings of the Persian miniature, and which exude a distinctly Scheherazade vibe – it is all the work of Marcel Wanders, Holland’s most playful designer. Here, he’s worked in collaboration with local consultants South West Architecture. Rounding off the Mondrian’s Alice-meets-Arabian-Nights excess is the region’s largest ESPA spa, a psychedelic extravaganza of bubble-clad chambers that would do Verner Panton proud.

]]>SPEED DIAL: HOW THE POST-WAR UTAH SALT FLAT RACES INSPIRED A NEW BELL & ROSS VINTAGE DESIGNhttp://postermagazine.com/speed-dial-how-the-post-war-utah-salt-flat-races-inspired-a-new-bell-ross-vintage-design/
Fri, 29 Dec 2017 23:26:36 +0000http://postermagazine.com/?p=8867THAT BELL & ROSS IS SHARPLY FOCUSED ON PUSHING TECHNOLOGICAL POSSIBILITIES, DEVELOPING COMPLEX MECHANISMS AND PIONEERING NEW MATERIALS IS A GIVEN. THAT ITS FOCUS IS BORN OUT OF A DEEP PASSION FOR THE PURSUIT OF SPEED IS A LESSER KNOWN ASPECT OF THE FRENCH WATCH MARQUE’S HERITAGE

That creative vision is inspired as much by the past as the bleeding edge of the new – recent Bell & Ross projects have included both a supercar concept, the Aéro-GT and the retro-future B-Rocket motorbike. That unique fusion of past, present and future that pulses through Bell & Ross’s creative vision defines its latest limited-edition timepiece – the Vintage Bellytanker. A watch design with a sparkling back story, it is inspired by the renewal of speed trials after the Second World War and a hot-rod that American driver, Bill Burke, created from an army surplus drop tank originally used on a P-51 Mustang. The aerodynamic drop tank was the perfect body for his speedster project. The resulting V8 powered car as run on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah became an instant legend – Bellytankers still run there, clocking speeds in excess of 300mph. Burke built a series of Bellytanker cars (mostly using tanks from P-38 fighters) and Bell & Ross has taken inspiration from these to create its own Bellytanker Car, complete with extra tweaks such as the curved glass that covers the cockpit and copper detailing. The Bellytanker watch design, meanwhile, is a prime addition to Bell & Ross’s collectible Vintage collection. Its appealingly stripped-back aesthetic is a nicely minimal reflection of the ‘bare bones’ approach to the early bellytanker hot rods. There are two versions of the Bellytanker watch; the three-hand, 38.5mm BR V1-92, fitted with Sellita based movement and the slightly larger (41mm) BR VI-94 chronograph. Both are water-resistant to 100m and feature ‘ultra-curved’ sapphire crystals. Another well-considered Bell & Ross touch is the solid caseback featuring an engraved profile of the Bellytanker (one of the chronographs has a sapphire caseback with a printed version of the Bellytanker profile). As always with Bell & Ross, it’s the deft details that give the timepieces standout status – the jet-tail seconds hands, the copper and steel colour scheme, the round date windows and, on the chronographs, the sector-style running seconds sub-dial that keeps the design open and easy on the eye.

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MID-MARKET MASTERPIECE: BMW REVEAL THE M2 COUPÉhttp://postermagazine.com/mid-market-masterpiece-bmw-reveal-the-m2-coupe/
Sun, 17 Dec 2017 23:50:55 +0000http://postermagazine.com/?p=8920It won’t have escaped your notice that cars are getting bigger and bigger. BMW is not alone in seeing its model range undergo gradual inflation over the years. The new M2, at a modest 4.46m long, is longer and far wider than the iconic mid-1980s M3, the car that in many respects it succeeds. The fabled M division hasn’t had to fettle something this compact since the admirably barmy M Coupé, a winning combination of oddball styling and brawny dynamics released in 1998. With the M2, the department has compressed all their knowhow and skill into creating the ultimate compact sports car. As well as size issues, BMW‘s nomenclature has had a bit of a shake-up with the M3 being renamed the M4, part of a strategy that sees even numbers assigned to saloons and estates, and odd numbers to sportier numbers – the 2-Series Coupé that forms the basis of the M2 was originally designated as a 1-Series. It’s hard to keep up, to be honest, and only the most dedicated car trivia buff should even attempt it, but we have a suspicion that above all else, these naming games conveniently avoid the re-use of the name ‘M1’, forever associated with the Giugiaro-penned mid-engined masterpiece from 1978. The M2 is nevertheless after its own slice of glory, targeted directly at a small but vocal niche of car-buyers for whom performance heritage and track ability trump all other considerations. The M2 certainly attracts attention, thanks to the thrum of the exhaust, the overlarge wheels, the flared arches, the brutally sculpted front end, the bucket-like racing seats and, above all, the little ‘M’ badge that acts as a calling to fellow obsessives. Taken together, all these little quirks add up to something that’s faintly ridiculous on most modern roads – this machine hankers after a deserted stretch of deliciously curved back-country blacktop, a destination that’s more legend than reality these days. Find that road (or track), and the M2 is a delicious car to drive, provided you can safely commit to driving it hard. A manual gearbox, 3.0 litre turbo-charged engine and 365 horsepower, blended and stirred with BMW’s spot-on dynamic qualities make it a pleasurable way of covering ground fast. Four proper seats make it practical, too, far more so than the two-seater sports cars it’ll go up against. BMW might lead the world with electric cars and electric infrastructure, but it tempers this largely benevolent role by creating machines like this – they’re still a vital spoke in the brand’s dynamic image (‘the ultimate driving machine’ is perhaps the quintessential auto ad slogan). Yet, ultimately, this car will look as antiquated as a hansom cab, a throwback to an era’s obsession with sound and speed. There’ll always be a market for supercars and hypercars, six and seven-figure models that exist as investments and status symbols, with new technologies at their most expensive and experimental. The M2 is a far more traditional ride, a mid-market car for the aficionado. Yet it’s this particular niche that’s most under threat of extinction in the coming years, making the M2 a finely-engineered throwback to an earlier age. Perhaps BMWneeds to invest in some racetracks as well as a network of chargers. Visit BMW here.